


Crackers Don't Really Help, but Cuddling Might

by roxashighwind



Series: Stay the Night 'verse [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, M/M, Non-graphic vomiting, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 15:56:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1108733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxashighwind/pseuds/roxashighwind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Red leaks into Aiden's eyes and he glares hard at Stiles. He can hear Cora's slow, shaky ascent on the stairs, and he hears it like a gunshot when her hand smacks down on the bannister in what he assumes is an attempt to keep herself upright. Scott makes a noise and Aiden turns his glare on the other alpha. “What?” he snaps.</i>
</p>
<p><i>“If you try to help her, she’ll push you down the stairs.” Scott doesn’t back down from Aiden’s red-eyed stare. “You’re her least favorite person right now.” </i> </p>
<p>Or:<br/>Morning Sickness Sucks and It's All Your Fault: a novella by Cora Hale</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crackers Don't Really Help, but Cuddling Might

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stilaheyy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stilaheyy/gifts).



> Set a decent way down the road from [Hey, What the Hell](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1094602). 
> 
> I got hit with feels about morning sickness and comfort cuddles and decided to write this.

“Oh god.” Cora shoves Aiden away and bolts for the bathroom, hand firmly over her mouth. The sounds of her getting sick echo through the house.

Stiles makes a face from where he’s settled leaning back against Isaac’s chest. “Gross.”

Isaac pushes on his shoulder as he makes a face of his own. “At least you can’t smell it.” He shrugs when Aiden glares at him. “It’s true.”

“I can hear all of you.” She sounds pitiful, and a wave of dry heaving stops her from saying anything more.

Allison pushes to her feet, running a hand over Scott’s hair as she does. “I’m going to go check on her.” She grabs an open package of saltines from the coffee table and heads to the bathroom.

Aiden glares at Allison but doesn’t make a move to stop her. “McCall, how long did your mom say that the morning sickness should last?” Cora’s heartbeat is starting to even out, and the tension in his shoulders eases bit by bit.

“Not long? Maybe a couple more weeks, I think.” Scott shrugs. “Shouldn’t be much longer. It doesn’t seem as bad as it was last week.”

The wolves hear Allison soothing Cora as best she can, offering up the crackers as Cora washes out her mouth at the sink. Cora looks like hell when they come back into the living room, but she’s got the crackers in hand. Allison settles in next to Scott again while Cora ignores Aiden entirely and settles on the floor near the couch Stiles and Isaac are sharing.

Aiden stares at her. “Cora.” He’s learned better than to move toward her when she doesn’t want to be near him - it’s painful if he does. “C’mon, there’s room for you here.” He gestures at the sliver of empty space in the recliner they had been sharing so recently.

She continues to ignore him, going so far as to look up at Isaac and Stiles. “I thought we were going to watch a movie?” With a shake, Cora dislodges a cracker from the plastic tube and proceeds to nibble on one corner. She pulls one leg up toward her chest and wraps an arm around it, still working on the single cracker. Cora curls in on herself,  though she doesn’t take her eyes off of Stiles and Isaac.

Isaac shrugs but Stiles grins, eyes bright. “Yeah! We’d just decided on Nightmare Before Christmas.” His glee is distinct in the room, a bright edge curling around all of the other smells. “Scott, controllers are next to you.”

Allison grabs the X-box controller before Scott can. “Got it.” She glances in Cora’s direction, worrying that she might get sick again. It’s been a bit of an ongoing shock when they all remember that Allison actually does care about Cora and vice versa; no one really talks about it. She navigates through menus until she finds the movie in Stiles’ queue.

Scott pulls Allison close again after she sets the controller down on the coffee table. He nuzzles behind her ear and they sink together on the loveseat as the movie starts. Stiles and Isaac have the big couch, spread out all along it, wrapped up in each other. Cora and Aiden had been sharing the big recliner snuggled together the same as the other two couples, until the morning sickness had sent Cora running for the bathroom.

Cora pulls out another cracker and gives it the same treatment as the first. She keeps her focus on the television, intent on mouthing the words to the opening song and doing her best to ignore Aiden entirely. Her attention falters as her body goes warm, another wave of sickness trying to hit. She fights it down and brings her other leg up so she can rest her face on her knees.

“You can go lay down in the guest room if you want,” Stiles offers softly. He reaches over the edge of the couch to touch her head, running his hand over her hair. “And there’s a bathroom right across the hall from it.” He ignores Aiden’s soft growl as Cora relaxes a bit under his hand petting over her hair.

With a small nod she unfolds herself, slowly but with clear intent. Cora sighs, grips the pack of crackers tightly, and finally pulls away from her friend’s gentle touch to stand. “I think I’ll do that.” She gives him a small, forced smile and moves toward the entryway to head upstairs, and stays as far from Aiden as she can manage without looking entirely like she's doing it on purpose.

Red leaks into Aiden's eyes and he glares hard at Stiles. He can hear Cora's slow, shaky ascent on the stairs, and he hears it like a gunshot when her hand smacks down on the bannister in what he assumes is an attempt to keep herself upright. Scott makes a noise and Aiden turns his glare on the other alpha. “What?” he snaps.

“If you try to help her, she’ll push you down the stairs.” Scott doesn’t back down from Aiden’s red-eyed stare. “You’re her least favorite person right now.”

Aiden wants to snap at Scott, wants to glare some more (however ineffectual it will be, McCall never backs down), but sits up instead. She can push him down the stairs if she wants, he’s not going to let her fall if he can help it. He can hear that she hasn’t moved on the stairs, and levers himself out of the recliner.

Cora starts to move again, a socked foot seeking out the next step. Her breathing is harsher than she’d like, and it’s taking more of her concentration to stay upright than it rightfully should. Losing the small lunch she’d had shouldn’t make her this shaky, but it has and all she wants to do is go lay down.

Usually he can’t sneak up on her, but Aiden manages it now with her focus so wholly on her ascent up the stairs. “Hale,” he says softly, announcing himself right before he touches her, just a hand light on her lower back. She’s only just made it to the landing halfway to the second floor, and he doesn’t want to startle her into falling.

She doesn’t say anything, but she also doesn’t shove him down the stairs like she so easily could. She lets him touch her for a few seconds before she continues onward, forcing herself to move more quickly up the stairs. Cora knows that he’s right behind her without looking, though he does not touch her again. With only one more pause on the stairs, Cora makes it to the guest bedroom without falling over.

Cora continues to ignore him as she settles herself onto the bed, spread out on her side with her back toward the door. She feels the bed dip as he climbs on behind her. Her eyes fall shut and she doesn’t fight it, and she does her best to relax.

He keeps his hands to himself as he mimics her pose on the bed, a few inches of space between them. He wants nothing more than to touch her, wrap his arms around her and pull her close against his chest, but he won’t, not when it’s obvious she doesn’t want the contact. A soft whine in the back of her throat has Aiden going immediately tense.

“You’re thinking too loud.” It’s barely more than a whisper, but it’s loud in the quiet of the room. Cora stays still and her breath starts to even out. “It’s annoying.”

“You’re annoying.” The childish response is automatic, with nothing but fondness behind the words. He relaxes a little and watches the slight expansion of her ribs as she breathes. It’s probably creepy, and under normal circumstances she might have even told him so. “Can I hold you?”

A tiny smile picks at the corners of her mouth; she’ll never get over him asking for the things he wants to do with her. She nods, the barest of movements, and then he’s there, hot and solid behind her. Cora relaxes back against him, hums softly as his arm settles over her side.

He pulls her back against his chest and presses his nose to the back of her neck. His hand settles low on her belly, cupping around the slight curve there. His wolf is pleased and makes a soft, possessive sound against Cora’s skin.

She wiggles back against him at the noise he makes, and settles her hand on top of his. “I hate you,” she whispers with a smile, and works his fingers between his on her stomach.

“Hate you, too,” he responds. He presses a light kiss to the back of her neck and holds her as tightly as he dares.

 


End file.
